Preperations
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brunota2003
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Hi Chris,
How very nice of you to offer this! I usually think I have my plan together, but I'm always interested in reviewing new information.
Wonder if the the board admins can upload your docs to the servers so we can access them there rather than email?
In the meantime, thank you for serving your community and beyond.
SB
How very nice of you to offer this! I usually think I have my plan together, but I'm always interested in reviewing new information.
Wonder if the the board admins can upload your docs to the servers so we can access them there rather than email?
In the meantime, thank you for serving your community and beyond.
SB
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Some Disaster Plan supplies are very specific and you have to bite the bullet and just buy them--but many (especially if you think out your plan) are things that you normally use, at least to some extent.
Especially when it comes to food, I'm a strong proponent of having stuff in your disaster kit that you normally eat anyway. Perhaps you look for different formats of those foods, but there are good arguments for not putting stuff in a disaster kit that are too alien to your normal diet.
So... each week when you go to the grocery store, check the sale items for stuff that would go in your preparedness kit that you buy anyway--and buy a few extras while the item is on sale! You won't notice the hit--and you can quickly build a stock of appropriate stuff.
Also, you can watch for the good packaging--which seldom coincides with disasters. For example, periodically, the people who make Saltines sell saltines in CANS insteadof cardboard boxes! Buy a couple of cans. Now, whenever you buy saltines, keep them in the cans--and always have an extra box or two on hand (in the cans) and refill the cans as you buy replacement boxes. Things like peanut butter, jelly, tuna fish, small things of mayonnaise, etc. go on sale--snap up what you need for your emergency kit... But since you normally eat this stuff (don't buy it if you don't), it will not languish in your emergency kit. Remember that without refrigeration, you open the cans of tuna, mix them with mayo--and eat! What you don't eat and can't keep appropriately cold, you throw out--you don't need food poisoning on top of whatever the disaster is! So if you normally buy quarts of mayonnaise, this is the time for a supply of little packets, or small (picnic size) containers, depending upon how may people you are preparing for...
But buying stuff you normally use, etc. and buying for your emergency stash week in and week out as stuff goes on sale means that you probably spend less than $2-$5 "extra" and quickly build an emergency stash that will see you through quite a long period of time.
Also, there are some formats that you would not normally buy, but that are actually very good--and comfort food is nice in emergency. I personally think all emergency food kits need some plain old pop corn--(the cheap stuff you buy by the pound) and a big pot with a cover and metal handles and no non-stick surface) that is too disreputable perhaps for normal use, but can go over a campfire or on a gas or charcoal grill. Having a "disaster kit" popcorn pan means you have friendly comfort food and it's amazing how people respond to popcorn! If popcorn is not your comfort food, substitute something that is... that you can cook over a campfire or grill... that is cheap, stores well (take the corn out of the plastic bag it comes in and store it in old glass mayonnaise jars or canning jars). Another interesting comfort food (and nice on camping trips) is canned bacon! I never knew the stuff existed until about 25 years ago--but a friend had it in his emergency stash! It cooks and taste like regular normal bacon--but it comes in cans and is "shelf-stable." If you have a suitable pan for that campfire/grill for bacon and another for pancakes, you've got a real comfort food breakfast... And they sell "just add water" pancake mix which is another thing that can go in an emergency kit. Again, these are all things that go on sale at the grocery store periodically, so watch the sales and stock up when they are on sale.
My personal emergency kit has tons of Progresso soups (pour in a pan, heat and eat). These go on sale about twice a year in our area and become almost affordable... But a can of this soup is "dinner." It's also wonderful when you are sick, late getting home and "too tired" to make anything more ambitious, etc. So, yes, the stock does get "rotated." Look for "ready to eat" soups that don't need added water, etc. If you really want to avoid dirty pans, you can open the cans and heat the soup in the cans, but be careful not to burn yourself trying to handle a hot can. I do NOT recommend that. Again, you don't want to add injuries to the disaster in progress...
I think a "calendar" based on what you normally buy and where you normally buy it and just adding tiny bits of the stuff on the list to your normal buying is the way to quickly build a supply... (Same principle works for things like batteries that go in the kit, as well.)
Especially when it comes to food, I'm a strong proponent of having stuff in your disaster kit that you normally eat anyway. Perhaps you look for different formats of those foods, but there are good arguments for not putting stuff in a disaster kit that are too alien to your normal diet.
So... each week when you go to the grocery store, check the sale items for stuff that would go in your preparedness kit that you buy anyway--and buy a few extras while the item is on sale! You won't notice the hit--and you can quickly build a stock of appropriate stuff.
Also, you can watch for the good packaging--which seldom coincides with disasters. For example, periodically, the people who make Saltines sell saltines in CANS insteadof cardboard boxes! Buy a couple of cans. Now, whenever you buy saltines, keep them in the cans--and always have an extra box or two on hand (in the cans) and refill the cans as you buy replacement boxes. Things like peanut butter, jelly, tuna fish, small things of mayonnaise, etc. go on sale--snap up what you need for your emergency kit... But since you normally eat this stuff (don't buy it if you don't), it will not languish in your emergency kit. Remember that without refrigeration, you open the cans of tuna, mix them with mayo--and eat! What you don't eat and can't keep appropriately cold, you throw out--you don't need food poisoning on top of whatever the disaster is! So if you normally buy quarts of mayonnaise, this is the time for a supply of little packets, or small (picnic size) containers, depending upon how may people you are preparing for...
But buying stuff you normally use, etc. and buying for your emergency stash week in and week out as stuff goes on sale means that you probably spend less than $2-$5 "extra" and quickly build an emergency stash that will see you through quite a long period of time.
Also, there are some formats that you would not normally buy, but that are actually very good--and comfort food is nice in emergency. I personally think all emergency food kits need some plain old pop corn--(the cheap stuff you buy by the pound) and a big pot with a cover and metal handles and no non-stick surface) that is too disreputable perhaps for normal use, but can go over a campfire or on a gas or charcoal grill. Having a "disaster kit" popcorn pan means you have friendly comfort food and it's amazing how people respond to popcorn! If popcorn is not your comfort food, substitute something that is... that you can cook over a campfire or grill... that is cheap, stores well (take the corn out of the plastic bag it comes in and store it in old glass mayonnaise jars or canning jars). Another interesting comfort food (and nice on camping trips) is canned bacon! I never knew the stuff existed until about 25 years ago--but a friend had it in his emergency stash! It cooks and taste like regular normal bacon--but it comes in cans and is "shelf-stable." If you have a suitable pan for that campfire/grill for bacon and another for pancakes, you've got a real comfort food breakfast... And they sell "just add water" pancake mix which is another thing that can go in an emergency kit. Again, these are all things that go on sale at the grocery store periodically, so watch the sales and stock up when they are on sale.
My personal emergency kit has tons of Progresso soups (pour in a pan, heat and eat). These go on sale about twice a year in our area and become almost affordable... But a can of this soup is "dinner." It's also wonderful when you are sick, late getting home and "too tired" to make anything more ambitious, etc. So, yes, the stock does get "rotated." Look for "ready to eat" soups that don't need added water, etc. If you really want to avoid dirty pans, you can open the cans and heat the soup in the cans, but be careful not to burn yourself trying to handle a hot can. I do NOT recommend that. Again, you don't want to add injuries to the disaster in progress...
I think a "calendar" based on what you normally buy and where you normally buy it and just adding tiny bits of the stuff on the list to your normal buying is the way to quickly build a supply... (Same principle works for things like batteries that go in the kit, as well.)
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